Negative Reputation Research Articles

Millennial Leaders: Ready or Not, Here They Come

Millennial Leaders: Ready or Not, Here They Come

Lecithin–cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity is lower in patients with type 2 diabetes in the presence of metabolic syndrome

Backgrounds: Metabolic syndrome can facilitate the development of diabetes mellitus and has gained a negative reputation for its adverse effects on the general health of the population and its tendency to increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Cardiovascular complications may be mediated by the alteration of certain enzyme activities and pathways. Lecithin-Cholesterol Acyltransferase (LCAT) may have a potential role in the prevention of atherosclerosis as a rate-limiting enzyme in reverse cholesterol transport. In this study, LCAT activity was compared among patients with type 2 diabetes in the presence or absence of metabolic syndrome.Methods: In the present study, 55 patients with type 2 diabetes with metabolic syndrome (DM+MS group), 25 patients with type 2 diabetes without metabolic syndrome (DM-MS group), and a control group of 43 subjects without type 2 diabetes (HC group) were compared based on their anthropometric parameters, lipid profiles, glycemic indices, and LCAT activity.Results: LCAT activity was lower among participants of the DM+MS group (70.22±7.88) in comparison with the both HC group (89.51±3.59) and the DM-MS group (76.73±7.25) (respectively P<0.001, P=0.021). There was no significant difference in the fasting blood glucose levels, as evidenced by the HbA1c and HOMA-IR measurements between the DM+MS group and the DM-MS group. BMI was significantly higher in the DM+MS group compared to the DM-MS group (P=0.031). In patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome, there was a negative correlation between LCAT activity and BMI (r=-0.275, P=0.048). There was also a negative correlation between LCAT activity and HbA1c in the DM-MS group (r=-0.606, P=0.008) and the DM+MS group (r=-0.421, P=0.002).Conclusion: LCAT activity was lower among patients with type 2 diabetes compared to subjects without type 2 diabetes and it had a greater reduction in the presence of metabolic syndrome. LCAT activity also had a negative correlation with BMI in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome compared to patients with type 2 diabetes that did not have metabolic syndrome.Keywords: Lecithin-Cholesterol Acyltransferase (LCAT), Metabolic syndrome, Diabetes mellitus, type 2, BMI

Researching the public procurement system: An analysis of unscrupulous suppliers

Subject. The article addresses issues of prequalification in the public procurement system. Objectives. The study analyzes the registry of unscrupulous suppliers and substantiates proposals for assessing the reputation of suppliers in the public procurement system for the purpose of prequalification. Methods. The study employs general scientific principles and research methods, like abstraction, generalization of approaches of domestic and foreign authors on issues of prequalification and reputation assessment. Results. The paper presents a methodology for analyzing a set of suppliers, which includes two stages. At the first stage, it examines a set of suppliers by industry affiliation, form of ownership, legal status, affiliation of participants, and degree of competition. At the second stage, it assesses the reputation of suppliers in the public procurement system by four components: corporate, financial, market, and social. The methodology was tested on unscrupulous suppliers data registry, which was formed on the basis of SPARK-Interfax information resource. Calculations show that the sampled population of unscrupulous suppliers includes three groups according to industry affiliation, i.e. trade, construction, and all other industries. In the legal status category, limited liability companies prevail. In the form of ownership category, the dominant group of unscrupulous suppliers is private business. The population is characterized by a low degree of concentration. Conclusions. Unscrupulous suppliers have negative reputation characteristics by which it is possible to identify them at the prequalification stage and debar from bidding.

Do Family Firms Invest More than Nonfamily Firms in Employee-Friendly Policies?

We examine whether family firms invest more in employee relations than nonfamily firms. Using the variation in state-level changes in inheritance, gift, and estate taxes as an exogenous shock to family control, we find that family firms, particularly those in which a founder serves as chief executive officer or those in which a family member serves as a director on the board, treat their employees better than nonfamily firms. More importantly, family firms focus on investing in employee relations that help alleviate labor-related conflicts and controversies, possibly to avoid a negative family reputation among stakeholders. Family firms’ better treatment of their employees is also evident when we use a difference-in-difference test to exploit changes in family firm status due to (sudden) deaths of family members and firms’ inclusion in Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” list to identify employee-friendly treatment. We further find that family firms in the early stage of their life cycle invest more in employee relations when they operate in labor-intensive industries in which the benefits from family owners’ monitoring of employees are expected to be large. Moreover, we find that although nonfamily firms’ investment in employee relations is impeded by several constraints, such as short-term investor pressure, managerial myopia, and managerial agency problems, family firms do not suffer from such constraints. These findings help explain why underinvestment in employee relations is prevalent in public firms despite potential long-term benefits from such intangible investment. This paper was accepted by Neng Wang, finance.

Selected Fungal Natural Products with Antimicrobial Properties.

Fungal natural products and their effects have been known to humankind for hundreds of years. For example, toxic ergot alkaloids produced by filamentous fungi growing on rye poisoned thousands of people and livestock throughout the Middle Ages. However, their later medicinal applications, followed by the discovery of the first class of antibiotics, penicillins and other drugs of fungal origin, such as peptidic natural products, terpenoids or polyketides, have altered the historically negative reputation of fungal “toxins”. The development of new antimicrobial drugs is currently a major global challenge, mainly due to antimicrobial resistance phenomena. Therefore, the structures, biosynthesis and antimicrobial activity of selected fungal natural products are described here.

Healthy fats and exclusion-zone size

A fourth phase of water, labeled exclusion-zone or “EZ,” extends from hydrophilic surfaces. Salient features include exclusion of colloidal and molecular solutes, and characteristic light absorbance at 270 nm. In cell systems, EZ water interfaces with membranes, macromolecules, and organelles, and its buildup appears to be vital for function. For years thought to build health, fats have gained a negative reputation over the last few decades. While their exact role in health remains unclear, now they have become more accepted. We tested several fats for their capacity to generate EZ water. Large EZs formed next to ghee, coconut oil, lard, organic clarified butter, and ‘Brain Octane®’ oil. Cold ghee surfaces produced especially large EZs. Thus, EZ growth, confirmed by microsphere exclusion and UV–VIS absorbance spectroscopy of samples flanking the fat, may be an important factor in cellular hydration and might well underlie the health-promoting function of fats.

Trackers and Trailblazers: Dynamic Interactions and Institutional Design in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Abstract The Inter-American Court’s negative reputation as a judicial activist is often contrasted with its influence in the Inter-American Human Rights System. Despite often issuing broad judgments, the Court has remained a reference and a standard for human rights in the region. This article aims to examine this phenomenon by examining the Court’s institutional powers. The article claims that the Court’s tendency towards judicial activism does not contradict its functions, but rather reflects domestic judicial tendencies and cultures. Domestic judicial cultures and states’ interactions with the Court provide context for the interpretation of its powers and its role in the Inter-American System. The article, therefore, suggests that argumentative legal exchange engaged by the Court and Member States is a healthy way of promoting mutual accountability, while maintaining flexibility for adaptations by both parties and preserving the internal coherence of the regional system.

The Romance Publishing Industry and Its Reputation

Romance has always had a negative reputation, but is this reputation justified? This study examines the negative stigma surrounding the billion dollar romance publishing industry in the USA and UK. The potential causes are discussed, and testimonials from contemporary romance readers and writers provide a basis for the case that this judgemental stance should be removed.

INDONESIA GOVERNMENT'S EFFORT TO FACE EU DIRECTIVE REGULATION CONCERNING PALM OIL IN EUROPE

This article describes Indonesian Government effort dealing with new regulation in European Union, namely EU Directive which prohibit palm oil use for biodiesel. The European Commission has concluded in a regulation that palm oil use in biofuels will be reduced to zero by 2030. This regulation is based on allegations against oil palm plantation that causes excessive environmental damage. Environmental issues that arise as a result of the growing awareness of the international community in preserving the earth are often contrary to the wishes of a country in developing its economy. Campaigns from environmental activists in Indonesia highlight a lot about the palm oil industry which is often considered not sustainable and causes environmental damage. On the other hand, this campaign caused a negative reputation followed by the decline of Indonesia's palm oil exports to Europe. One of the regulations that arose was the EU Directive which was considered by the Indonesian government as discrimination against oil palm products and their derivatives. This article uses a qualitative analysis method. This study aims to analyze how the Indonesian government responds to the EU Directive regulation on Palm Oil which is considered detrimental to Indonesia's palm oil exports to Europe.

THE BATTLE FOR FUKUSHIMAʼS REPUTATION

Fukushima Prefecture has a negative reputation. People everywhere continue to believe that Fukushima is unsafe due to high radiation levels and that its locally grown foods should not be eaten. This negative assessment is not based on the prefectureʼs current status, but from perceptions formed after the March 2011 nuclear accident. Fukushima residents asked me to tell the world the truth about Fukushima and to help them overcome their negative reputation. I agreed, and in 2019 I moved from Hawaii to Fukushima City to accomplish that mission.

Culture in Communication: Dolce & Gabbana’s Chopsticks Backlash

This case study aims to analyse insulation case with Dolce & Gabbana “Chopsticks video campaign” and identify three main problems that could be applied with branding luxury concepts so that produces practical recommendations to help Dolce & Gabbana restore its brand image and reputation among society. Distribution on social media theory could be the first concept applied in this case based on the concept explains the relationship between social media usage and luxury branding products online distribution. Three videos about Dolce & Gabbana’s chopsticks video were posted on Twitter and Instagram with millions of clicks that helps to spread its racist theory to international market effectively and all of Chinese celebrities reject its Fashion Show in Shanghai and terminated contracts with Dolce & Gabbana. The second concept is identified as culture assumption decision would influence luxury brand’s perception such as totally misunderstanding Asian culture and put it to video campaign that forces luxury brand turn into negative brand reputation such as making businesses by supporting racist theory. The last concept is identified as communication chain and PR consequences with luxury branding. According to successful works of spreading Dolce & Gabbana video via social media channel, the worst results were received based on misunderstanding Asian culture as topic of video campaign.

Where Are Your Ethics? How Corporate Scandals Hurt Employees

Using a sample of corporate scandals and data from the website Glassdoor, we study how negative reputation shocks affect the relationship between firms and their employees. Worker sentiment declines sharply and persistently following scandals, driven by diminished perceptions of management and culture. While base earnings and fringe benefits remain unchanged, variable compensation falls 6 percent, with less-experienced workers bearing the largest reductions. Consistent with the decreases in job satisfaction and compensation, we find that average labor productivity drops and that firms may face more difficulty filling job vacancies. Our results demonstrate that rank-and-file employees are adversely impacted by corporate misconduct.

Mikhail Lifshits, György Lukács and theory of aesthetic reflection

Mikhail Lifshits and György Lukács are known as authors of an absolutely original concept of the cognitive force power of art. The theory of reflection which had a reputation of as one of the most inert rigid and dogmatic aspects of the philosophy of Marxism in general was the cornerstone of this concept. Quite often such a negative reputation of the theory of reflection affects also the general negative relation to an attitude towards the aesthetics of Lifshits and Lukács. However, actually this theory was uniquely interpreted by received from Lifshits and Lukács very original interpretation. First, they always emphasized the fact that the theory of reflection is not a Marxist invention, and thatbut is the it represents a result of a long development of the classical tradition of philosophical and aesthetic thinking. Secondly, reflection itself cannot be understood as a photographic copying of reality at all. Of great importance is the Very important is the circumstance that the theory of aesthetic reflection is justification of the objective nature of art, justification of realism as the highest artistic method of for the knowledge of reality. At the same time, the theory of reflection acts as the methodological tool of for criticism of modernism in art. Attentive Carefully studying of the theory of aesthetic reflection by of Lifshits and Lukács allows makes it possible to reveal identify certain investigations consequences, which owing for to various reasons remained only implied in their texts. FSo, for example, the statement assertion that the realism is the highest method of art istic cognitionknowledge, allows to us to understand the negative relation attitude of Lifshits and Lukács to the art of socialist realism. The Historical and aesthetic reconstruction of the qualification of such a phenomenon of art of the 20 th century art as magical realism, and its dispositions in the opposition of realism and modernism which is key essential for an the aesthetics of Mikh Lifshits and G. Lukács, opposition of realism and modernism can appearmay turn out to be very interesting.

An ace in the hole: The effects of (in)accurately observed structural holes on organizational reputation positions in whole networks

A large body of the literature has found that occupying structural holes positively affect organizational outcomes. Structural holes pose strategic opportunities for organizations that are knowledgeable of their advantageous position. However, most studies do not consider whether organizations observe their structural holes accurately. Such observational (in)accuracy might explain variation in return-on-structural-holes. This study investigates the effects of (in)accurate perceptions of organizations’ structural holes position on organizational reputation. We consider scenarios where organizations (correctly) observe or (incorrectly) miss existing structural holes or where they incorrectly observe structural holes. We collected data in two whole networks in the healthcare industry. We find that accurately observing one’s structural hole position increases organizational reputation. Contrary, organizations that perceive structural holes that actually do not exist, suffer negative reputation effects. Our research implies that similar network positions can yield differential reputation effects depending on the accuracy of the knowledge of the organization occupying this position.

Investment Attractiveness of the Integrated Territory Development

Construction is one of the leading economic activities. The organization of the construction industry ensures the focus of all organizational, technical and technological solutions to achieve the end result, i.e. the commissioning of a facility of the appropriate quality within the established deadline. The image of the territory is of great importance for the investor, because it is very risky to invest one’s resources and to know in advance that the territory has a negative reputation. There are a lot of territories in the Irkutsk region and in Russia as a whole that require integrated development, as the city center is built up fairly densely and it proves to be rather difficult to buy accommodation or build a facility there. Therefore, the development of the territory outside the city is of vital importance. Thus, managing the investment attractiveness of the comprehensive development territories of the municipalities is relevant.

Robust worst cases for parity games algorithms

The McNaughton-Zielonka divide et impera algorithm is the simplest and most flexible approach available in the literature for determining the winner in a parity game. Despite its theoretical exponential worst-case complexity and the negative reputation as a poorly effective algorithm in practice, it has been shown to rank among the best techniques for solving such games. Also, it proved to be resistant to a lower bound attack, even more than the strategy improvements approaches, but finally Friedmann provided a family of games on which the algorithm requires exponential time. An easy analysis of this family shows that a simple memoization technique can help the algorithm solve the family in polynomial time. The same result can also be achieved by exploiting an approach based on the dominion-decomposition techniques proposed in the literature. These observations raise the question whether a suitable combination of dynamic programming and game-decomposition techniques can improve on the exponential worst case of the original algorithm. In this paper we answer this question negatively, by providing a robustly exponential worst case, showing that no possible intertwining of the above mentioned techniques can help mitigating the exponential nature of the divide et impera approaches. The resulting worst case is even more robust than that, since it serves as a lower bound for progress measures based algorithms as well, such as Small Progress Measure and its quasi-polynomial variant recently proposed by Jurdziński and Lazic.

With a little help from my friends: Development and validation of the positive peer influence inventory

Despite its negative reputation, peer pressure might not always be adverse. Recent research has explored the potential for positive peer influence, in which adolescents encourage and support one another toward positive outcomes. To further investigate this possibility, measurement tools are needed. To that end, the researchers conducted three studies to create and validate a scale that measures adolescents’ perception of the positive peer influence they experience. The scale was created using deductive scale development and exploratory factor analysis to create items and determine the factor structure. It showed good model fit, and convergent, discriminant, incremental, and concurrent criterion validity were supported. The scale was then validated using an adolescent sample. This measure can serve as a tool for researchers and practitioners to determine what other positive outcomes can be linked to positive peer influence and how it can contribute to a flourishing life.

The value of reputation in electronic marketplaces

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the role of customer experience moderating the relationship between reputation (online consumer reviews) and price premium. Design/methodology/approach This paper collected half-year period transaction of Nokia 5230XM and Kingston SD card from Taobao.com, the largest e-commerce platform in China. This paper combined theoretical analysis and empirical analysis together. Two-stage regression and logistic regression analysis was applied in this empirical analysis. The sensitivity analyses (robustness check) were also conducted in this paper. Findings Customer experience negatively moderates reputation price premium; thus, the positive effect of the reputation system is weaker for the experienced customer than for the naïve customer. Customers with more experience are less likely to pay the price premium and rely on a reputation system. Practical implications The results help sellers to strategize in the online marketplace. Sellers that wish to compete in the e-market must understand the type of customers they are addressing and differentiate the way they treat customers based on the level of customer experience. Originality/value This research contributes to the reputation management and customer behavior literature by identifying the effects of customer experience on the relationship between the reputation system and price premium. The results address the conflicts found in previous studies by extending the explanation of the negative reputation price premium.

LEARNING TO LOVE THE WORLD’S MOST HATED CROP –Review Articles

The 2019 Inter-governmental Panel (IPCC) Report on Climate Change and Land highlighted the urgency and scale of the environmental impact from human-induced landscape change. Palm oil has historically had a particularly negative reputation for driving deforestation, biodiversity loss, greenhouse gas emissions, social exploitation and damaging health. In the eyes of many in the West, it is regarded as the world’s most hated crop. However, palm is highly productive compared with other crops and produces 40% of the worlds edible oil from only 5% of vegetable oil producing land and 0.4% of agricultural land in total. It has the potential to meet future demand for oil with minimum additional environmental and climate impact compared with other sources of vegetable oil. The related high value density has the potential to move millions of vulnerable smallholder farmers out of poverty. Given the conclusions of the IPCC Climate and Land Report, it is therefore important to re-examine the crop’s reputation in light of the accumulated evidence and to properly understand the full impacts across the environmental, health, social and economic factors. We present a comprehensive review of the benefits and risks of the crop across these dimensions and provide a new synthesis. We conclude that while oil palm has had a significant negative impact on habitat and biodiversity, it plays a minor role compared with poaching, illegal logging and threats from climate change. There are important opportunities for the industry to reverse this damage. Its reputation for negative health impacts are not backed up by the scientific evidence and indeed there may be health benefits from substituting some oils in the diet with oil palm. Positive social and economic impacts are most obvious in areas where proper market-led economies are in place, but there can be significant negative social impacts in less developed areas. We conclude that much of the reputation of palm oil is not based on a balanced interpretation of the scientific evidence. Provided future development is zero deforestation, does not occur on peat, uses methane capture technology at the mills, empowers indigenous smallholders and supports the regeneration of secondary forest, we conclude that oil palm can be the most environmentally, socially and economically sustainable means to meet future demand for vegetable oil. Indeed, with pro-active collaboration with relevant non-government organisations, oil palm can be part of the solution to reversing the degradation of tropical forest biomes

Expectations matter: Evaluation of brand’s pro-environmental initiatives based on consumers’ brand schemas and brand familiarity

ABSTRACTThis manuscript focuses on how consumers evaluate a brand’s pro-environmental messages, its pro-environmental initiatives, and the brand itself as the effect of consumers’ schema-congruity and their ability to resolve incongruity. The study uses brands both familiar and unfamiliar to participants. An online experiment was conducted using 402 respondents. Findings indicated that consumers’ perceived message persuasiveness, their trust toward the brand’s pro-environmental initiatives, brand affect, attitude toward the brand, and eventually their behavioral intention were most favorable for congruent messages, followed by when incongruity was resolved and least when incongruity was not resolved. These findings were applicable to both familiar and unfamiliar brands. In addition, consumers’ attitude toward the brand before and after message exposure were different, with change being most positive for incongruity resolution for unfamiliar brands and least for incongruity nonresolution for familiar brands. The findings are important for established apparel brands that suffer from negative reputations but are willing to revitalize their images, and for new ventures who want to establish their image as pro-environmental. In addition, the findings contribute and extend theory by identifying a boundary condition for the schema-congruity theory.